Rosanne Cash Helps Raise Cash to Help Save the Schooner Lettie G. Howard

On Monday, April 8 at 8:00 PM at the New York Academy of Medicine, Rosanne Cash is singing at a benefit concert to help save the schooner Lettie G. Howard. Rosanne Cash is a gifted, Grammy award winning singer/songwriter and … Continue reading

Soldini’s Maserati Team Set to Break New York to San Francisco Record

UPDATE:  The Soldini Maserati team set a new New York to San Francisco sailing record of 47 days, 2 hours and 33 minutes, breaking the previous record by ten days. Sometime Saturday, the Soldini team sailing the 70′ Maserati is expected … Continue reading

M/Y Eclipse, the World’s Largest Yacht, in New York Harbor

In October 2009, we posted “Rich Men’s Toys – Battleships, Helipads & Submarines,” about several mega-yachts, including the world’s largest, Roman Abramovich’s 557 feet (170 meters) M/Y Eclipse.  The yacht arrived in New York harbor this week and is now tied up … Continue reading

Carnival Triumph – Another Blacked-out Drifting Cruise Ship – Why Again?

There is a fire in one of two engine rooms on a cruise ship.  The fire is extinguished but the damage has been done. The cruise ship blacks out – losing power and most electricity. The ship is adrift in the ocean.  There is so hot … Continue reading

Congratulations to Matt Rutherford – Ocean Cruising Club Jester Medal Winner

Congratulations to Matt Rutherford who was recently awarded the Ocean Cruising Club’s Jester Medal, for an outstanding contribution to the art of single-handed sailing. In April of last year, Matt completed a record breaking 309 day, more than 27,000 mile, … Continue reading

Engine Room Fire Strands Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico, Will be Towed to Mexico

An engine room fire has knocked out the propulsion and the primary electrical system on the cruise ship Carnival Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico off the Yucatan Peninsula.  Emergency generators are providing limited power to the passenger areas.  The ship … Continue reading

Deadly Lifeboat – Five Crew Dead and Three Injured in Falling Lifeboat on Thomson Majesty

Five crew members on the cruise ship Thomson Majesty are reported to have died and three others were injured after a lifeboat fell 65 feet into the water during a safety drill at the port of Santa Cruz in La Palma, in Spain’s … Continue reading

Happy Birthday Samuel Plimsoll, the Sailor’s Friend – a Man Who Truly Left His Mark on Shipping

Today is Samuel Plimsoll‘s birthday. Born on February 10, 1824,  Plimsoll, a British politician and social reformer  fought for reasonable loading of cargo ships, which lead the adoption of the first modern loadline, which became known as the Plimsoll mark or Line.  In … Continue reading

Final Block for Aircraft Carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth Leaves Portsmouth

Remember when ships were built from the keel up and launched by sliding down the building ways into the water with a satisfying splash?  OK, maybe I am showing my age. These days ships are built like LEGOs, massive LEGOs, … Continue reading

Solomon Islands Earthquake Triggers Tsunami

A powerful magnitude 8.0 earthquake off the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific triggered a tsunami of up to 5 feet high, damaging several villages and leaving several people missing, presumed dead.   Five villages on Santa Cruz and neighboring islands were reported to have … Continue reading

Shackleton Epic Expedition Lands on South Georgia Island – An Ocean Crossed, A Mountain Yet to Climb

In late January we posted about the “Shackleton Epic Expedition,” led by Australian Tim Jarvis, shoving off from Elephant Island in the lifeboat Alexandra Shackleton, in an attempt to reenact the incredible 1916 voyage of Ernest Shackleton and his six man … Continue reading

Topsail Schooner Kathleen and May Leaving Liverpool for New Owners?

The 113 years old topsail schooner Kathleen and May, now berthed in Liverpool, may be on her way Asia, unless money can be raised from a local source to keep the retired merchant schooner in Great Britain. The schooner was the first ship to be listed on the National … Continue reading

Saving Robbins Reef Light – a Noble Effort

In November we posted about the Old Orchard Shoals Light, off Staten Island, NY, which was completely destroyed on October 30th by Hurricane Sandy.  The 130-year-old Robbins Reef Lighthouse, on the other side of the island   survived the storm, but still suffered significant damage.  As reported by the Staten Island … Continue reading

Drama in the Suez Canal – Engine Room Flooding on the Emma Mærsk

On Friday night, the Emma Mærsk, one of the world’s largest container ships, suffered flooding in the engine room and lost power as it was in the northern end of the Suez Canal.  Tugs were dispatched and the 1,300 foot long 14,700 TEU … Continue reading

TOTE Orders New LNG Powered Container Ships and Conversions – Largest LNG Powered Ships in the World

In December, Totem Ocean Transport Express (TOTE) ordered two new LNG powered container ships from NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.   Late last month they also signed a contract with NASSCO to convert two existing roll-on/roll-off ships to LNG fuel. … Continue reading